Hunted
by Riegne
Summary: During the seven years of Link's slumber, Ganondorf took control of the kingdom of Hyrule. But some information is lost in time, and one such piece is the Kokiri Slave Act, and how one forest child and two others were the first to try to turn the world right-side up again. This is that tale. The prologue is up. Rated T for violence and gore. Main pairing is Saria X D.Link.
1. Prologue

**AN: Alright. I'm not going to waste any time with a long-winded note. I'm just going to say that from now on, there will be no set dates for my stories. I will update when I can; I'll leave it at that. Right now I'm just trying to get first chapters out for stories I want completed.**

**That being said, this is "Hunted", a fanfic set during the seven years Link is in slumber. I would appreciate reviews. I need all the criticism I can get!**

**EDIT: I fixed the mistakes! ;'D **

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_**Hunted**_

Prologue

During the ascension of the one known as Ganondorf (the King of Evil) to the royal throne, Hyrule faced an inevitably doomed future.

At the time, the Hero was sealed away and was unknowingly waiting for seven years to pass. Only then could he successfully wield the Triforce of Courage and the Sword of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword. During this period. Ganondorf used his piece of the Triforce (power, if you are not already aware ) to gain control of almost the entire land. However, through some inexplicable phenomenon, certain areas were spared. It has been dubbed, "The Beacon Effect" by most. The old saying goes that if enough positive energy is gathered, it can create a defense against negative energy. Before the rise of Man, Hylian, Zora, Goron, and other species that hold decent amounts of logic, there was a natural balance of energy (yin and yang, so to speak.) The Beacon Effect has grown stronger in the sense that this eternal shifting in power has died out due to the establishment of a code of ethics and morals for all those with humane sense to live by.

Most fled Ganondorf once the true King (by royal bloodline) was slaughtered mercilessly by him and his army of "monsters" and the undead. But during his rule, evidence was left implying that perhaps not all creatures were both logical and unloyal to him of which I speak. One such text was found 2 years ago in the purging of the Spirit Temple-

_"...It was when the Hero pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time that His Cruelness, The Dark Lord Ganondorf, gained entry to the Sacred Realm and in-turn, the Triforce itself._

_While some inferiors claim that it was pure trickery that allowed The Great King Of Evil to obtain the immense power he has been blessed with, it is only truth that one so wise as He should achieve status through His Power. For half a decade He has ruled ever so fantastically, giving those of lesser "hierarchical" status what we rightfully deserve._

_The king was the first to go, and many other fools followed. The disgustingly cheerful Hyrule Castle Town was transformed into a haven for the Redeads, who now have the opportunity to feast on any treasonous scum called to the castle. Most of the land rests in eternal night, where the sun shan't be seen again. Unfortunately, a beacon of light still glimmers with hope in some parts for the foolish mortals. These places used to include three areas; the Ranch, the Village, and the Forest. Thankfully though, the former has recently been removed from the trio, as it was merely three days ago that His Cruelness passed the Kokiri Slave Act._

_This Act, enforced directly through the King's spoken word, requires the forest dwellers known as the Kokiri (also commonly referred to as "children of the forest") to be available to provide labor for the King's Army when he asks for such work. They in turn are provided 4 hours of break-time; 3 for rest and 1 for the process of consuming food. While some may argue against this Act, the King wishes to remind them that under his rule, all are required to put in effort to make the land of Hyrule into his image. And so it shall be!_

_The purpose of this writing is simple – I wish to assure my fellow followers of the New Way that our Lord has not fallen to the deadly plague of insanity that comes with most large positions. I also am to cover The Shadow Project, an ongoing assessment of whether or not an "anti-hero" of sorts can be established, one that would match His Worst Enemy's brains as well as brawn. I am, of course, certain that the upcoming 1st experiment will pave a road to success._

_May we all bask in the glory of The Dark Lord! May we let His evilness lead us to glory! May the three divines fall, there futile powers no match for Him an-"_

The text continues, stating various other positive traits of "The Dark Lord." Some historians believe this to be the work of a Lizalfo from the scraggly, mismatched handwriting, while others claim that it's purely fiction. Fiction or not, however, the writer seems to know an awful lot about Ganondorf's rule, and some of it was proven true when it was found that multiple Hyrulians could clarify the information unknowingly. In this piece, the author briefly mentions The Beacon Effect, but he/she also talks about two more particular things.

One of them is The Kokiri Slave Act.

Although many cite this as a mere, generally unimportant phase during the reign of Ganondorf, this decree was the first actual law issued by him to those not in his undead forces, that brought harm to Hyrule itself. Many laws stripping the free rights of the commoners would follow, but the KSA was one of the most cruel and despicable.

The Kokiri were humble people who thrived in forested areas, and children at that. They were part of the fragile ecosystem that helped keep nature going, and were gifted with immortality (unless one was to leave the area, in which case they would suffer a slow and painful death, as the Forest itself provides them life.) They were built as a symbol of youth, and therefore not physically able to work such grueling hours as they were forced to. And they certainly were not accustomed to the great illness that struck their world when Ganondorf's plans were put into motion.

The last important thing about the writing that I can point out is the "anti-hero" the author speaks of. In legends, this is indeed the creature that inhabited the Water Temple, as well as one of the Hero's most difficult enemies to beat. But before it did so, it had another mission.

A mission that ties in with the act I spoke of just previously.

But one of the Kokiri would rebel against this foul dictatorship, and she would be the first. While others cowered in the face of his might, she stood with her head held high and proud. And with two unlikely allies, she would set out to change the course of history.

Her name? It was Saria.

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**AN: There you have it. I hope the Prologue wasn't too much of a bore. I was originally going to jump right into the story, but I felt an introduction had to be in place. **

**Please, please review! You'll all get internet cookies if you do. ^W^**


	2. Chapter One - Dawn I

**AN: Alright, you guys want to hear a funny story? No? Great, here goes;**

**So I'm going through another one of my "brain-dead and can't write anything for my stories" phases. But then I'm at the library, typing random stuff, when I decide to work on a LoZ one-shot. And before I knew it, it turned into THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS STORY.**

**How does that even work? Personally, I'm not too sure, but it happened. And obviously I would feel stupid not finishing a story that I wrote the ENDING to. **

**I've been working on this chapter for a very long time, but it never seemed right. Fifth time's the charm, I guess. End of story, I finally wrote this while I also fixed the prologue (there were a lot of mistakes...but they're gone now.) So, enjoy Chapter 1, and here's to finishing this story!**

**Hopefully. Eventually. :D**

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**Xx~xX**

_**Hunted**_

Chapter One ~ Dawn I

Zelda did not take much, only what she absolutely needed. This included fresh food and clothes, coupled with the Great Book of Spells and Royal Harp. Many nobles would frown upon her decision, especially when it came to her status as Princess. But Zelda felt alive, more alive than ever before.

Not too long ago, the Siege had taken place. The Imprisoning War began, and she was in the middle of all the chaos. The gore and bloodshed, the aura of betrayal, the King's murder...they all involved her, and that wicked, wicked man. Everyone believed she couldn't accomplish such a grand task. Children were so clueless to the world around them, after all.

No. They were wrong, and she would prove it. She would win this war yet, for the sake of all that died, and all that were still alive. As Zelda left the sullen streets of Kakariko, she only felt regret for never formally saying goodbye.

The letter itself would have to suffice.

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**+(*)+**

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_**Dear Impa,**_

_**For as long as I can remember, you have been my closest friend. You stayed with me through the darkest hours, taught me everything I know today, and protected me from the evil. You know the kind; the plague of death that seeped through Castle Town's walls that fateful day. In return for your sacrifice, I give my most sincere thanks, but I will never be truly able to repay you for everything.**_

_**You met Link on the same day as I, and know of his status as the Hero of Destiny. One day, he shall return, but I know not when. I must take it upon myself until then to protect the souls that have remained in our kingdom's darkest hour. It is with much regret that I have left your care, bringing along a few items that will be of great importance. Forgive me for my actions, but I must do what needs to be done.**_

_**I plan to study magic, and once I've become skilled enough, I will train both physically and mentally until Link's arrival. When he does come, assisting him in taking Hyrule back will be my duty alone. But do not worry for me Impa; I give you my word that remaining safe will be at the top of my list.**_

_**Impa, I had another dream just a few nights ago. In it, the two of us reunited in this very village. I believe it to be a premonition as well.**_

_**With much love,  
Your Zelda  
Princess of Hyrule**_

Impa looked it over again, and again, and again. She stood up from the chair slowly, set the parchment on the table, and groaned. Her hands moved against the sides of her head, doing their best to ease the splitting headache that would reach her any moment.

_For the sake of my remaining sanity, Princess, I hope you keep that promise._

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**+(*)+**

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_Drifting endlessly in The Void didn't feel destructive anymore. Instead, she felt the purest serendipity._

_The attacks were even worse now. Saria didn't want to go back, and why would she. She wanted to stay here, where everything was at peace. Here was freedom. Out there was imprisonment._

_**THINGS WILL GET WORSE.**_

_She spun around to face an unknown entity, its form obscured by the darkness. _

_**BUT I WILL PROTECT YOU.**_

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**+(*)+**

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Her mind fled from the memories of last night's dream, and moved on towards the situation at hand.

Saria was unique by Kokiri standards, and everyone loved that. In fact, their leader was head over heels for her. But why, he wondered, did she have to be so stubborn?

"What the heck are you DOING, Saria? Are you trying to get us all killed? Because if you are, you're doing a fantastic job!"

Flicking away a stray lock of green hair, Saria sighed. This was absolutely hopeless. Outlasting Mido's nonsensical rant had seemed brilliant at first. After all, there was no way anyone could keep up a lecture forever. Now, she wasn't too sure.

"Relax Mido, I'm fine." But he still huffed in contempt.

"If you ask me," he grumbled, "you got lucky. If it wasn't for your quick healing, you'd be as good as dead against the Scrubs and Babas." Saria soon found herself alone in the hut, with only a bandaged leg to keep her company.

"What's eating him?"

Or maybe not. Saria looked up to see a familiar face enter through the doorway. She beamed lightly while he grew quiet and sauntered over to her bedside.

"Show me then."

She nodded and began to unwrap the bandages. One by one, they fell. Saria grinned confidently when the boy's mouth dropped with the last. "My leg healed overnight. I'm ready. Now you need to keep your end of the bargain."

"Tell me, why do you want this?" Saria paused, but found her voice momentarily. Although a bit overcome, she had an answer.

"I've felt it, Egon. The evil is spreading...there's no explanation for it. Protecting you and the others is really, really important. I don't know what's happening in the rest of Hyrule, but if the forest falls, everything will die." She looked up at him with a burning resolve. "I can't let that happen. I'll do whatever it takes for the ones I love."

The other Kokiri, Egon, stared at her for what felt like forever. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well, I'll teach you some swordplay...but only enough for proper defense. Let's get to work."

Smiling and hopping up to contain her excitement, Saria followed him carefully to the Forest Training Center. It was there that she silently reminded herself of something that would aid her in the coming times.

Failure was not an option.

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**+(*)+**

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His first breaths were unexpected and cruel; far from a pleasant experience. The pollution he inhaled burned his nose and tongue. Meanwhile, his first thought was but a single echo:

_I am...Abomination._

"No, you will be The Catalyst. A game changer in the grand scheme of things. Now Shadow, bow to your master, to Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil!" The creation looked up with mere curiosity. Yet the moment its eyes fell upon Him, he felt utterly obliged to obey.

With his dark skin and red hair, the man appeared to be of Gerudian decent, with armor crafted with the finest metals found west of the border. He sat upon a throne of gold with two Stalfos by his side, serving as guards. Was he a God? But there were only three Goddesses, the Divines. The creature's head buzzed with infinite knowledge that had never been learned, a strange thing. Either way, he felt himself kneel to the heir apparent. The man smiled.

"Hear me now, Shadow. From this moment forth, you shall be known as Dark Link, conquerer of the Wretched Goodness that has plagued this land for so long!"

Dark Link came to his feet again and nodded, ignoring the twinge of conflict from within the newly developed psyche. That wasn't important. The price of emotion held undesirable promise, but it was all part of this "game changer" the man spoke of. He wanted to please the King, and so he would pay his dues in suffering.

But wait! This was no longer just any conquerer. He had a title.

_Exhale, inhale._

"It shall be done...Master."

**Xx~xX**

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**AN: Just for clarity, ****Egon is not an OC. It's the name I gave to the Kokiri in the Forest Training Center. BLARGH :P, I want to write more Dark Link so badly! Personally, it's my favorite part of the chapter.**

**Thank you for reading, leave a review, and stay tuned for the next update, coming soon!**

**Perhaps. Possibly. ;)**


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